Bananas!

I got out the bag of banana crisps today and a little less than a serving remained so I decided to finish the bag without using a bowl. I sat down, and as I was eating, I reread the nutrition label and made a shocking discovery. "Banana Crisps" with the same picture and label on the front of the bag is no longer an 80 calorie snack made with bananas and a little sugar. A new ingredient is on the nutrition label......rice bran oil. The same size serving now delivers 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, 2 of which are saturated. I was horrified.

I read nutrition labels and I tend to remember good snack food. I was excited when I found these last summer at a "health food" store I shop from time to time. I like banana crisps. They taste good and are fun to eat. In my mind they were junk food that wasn't really junk food.

Then I got mad. The label on the front of the bag is exactly the same. The nutrition label has changed. I have no idea when it changed. Who knows how long I have been eating roughly twice the calories and extra fat. My "health food" store pulled a fast one. I don't feel the same about their products. I can't run in and pick up my favorites every few weeks, I HAVE to read the labels to see if anything has changed. I'm not sure if I want to shop there anymore.

Then I thought about this some more. I was calling this snack "fruit." In reality, it is processed food. Who knows how those bananas were made into tasty dried slighty sweet crisps. If I am fully honest about the situation, I was telling myself something that wasn't true. The better food choice is a banana...the yellow fruit with a peel. I know this and I need to stop telling myself that processed or prepared food is equivalent to food that comes from a plant that grows in the ground.

Bananas! What a lesson I got today.

Edamame in the shell

I laugh as I type in "recipe" as a label for this entry because the instructions are so simple. Guess this is a typical American recipe.

• Buy a bag of edamame in the shell in the frozen food section of your grocery store, Asian market or health food store.
• Open the bag and pour the amount you want to eat into a dish you can put into the microwave.
• Read the bag and follow the microwave instructions.
• Enjoy!

How did I get this far in life and NOT know the joys of edamame in the shell. I sit cross legged on the sofa with two bowls..one full of hot edamame and another empty one for the shells. I pop open the end of the shell with my fingers, then I bite and suck out the contents of the shell... two or three nice warm nutty flavored smooth green beans. The work involved eating edamame makes it the perfect snack for me. I have never enjoyed shelled edamame in the same way. I would just as soon leave it as eat it. Funny how that works.

Never heard of edamame? It is pronounced "ed-dah-mah-meh" and it means soybean in Japanese. "Oh yes," you say. Everyone has heard of soybeans. Edamame in the shell are an entirely different experience however. Nature's perfect snack food in my mind....they taste great and they are good for you.

If you haven't had them, definitely give them a try.

Saturday Virtual Dinner Partner

I haven't posted daily tracking for a while, mostly in the spirit of cleaning up the blog. Not posting made me realize the impact of this practice. I am more aware of what I am doing when I write it down. In the long run, I want to wean myself from the practice of daily tracking while I continue healthy living. I am not where I was five years ago when I was not taking care of myself but I am not where I want to be. I see the learning curve.

Presently, I am concentrating on resiliance. I am pleased to see that difference in focus. I wonder what is next. Will mindful living in these areas of my life ever become automatic? What will it take to get there?

Sleep about 8 hours
Vitamins

9:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, grapes and 2 tbsp walnuts
tiny lowfat bran muffin
2 c black tea
12:00
kitchen sink salad with spinach, field greens, cucumber, tomato, carrots and 6 g fat canola based dressing
Kr Kracker's flat bread
grapefruit
2:30
oatmeal (2/3c before cooked) with 1 tbsp peanut butter
4:30
chocolate heaven
6:30
turkey veggie soup

Movement: resistance training for arms and legs

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.
~Buddha

White bean and escarole soup

White bean and escarole soup is a favorite in my household. It is so easy to make and delicious on a really cold day.

Ingredients:

Big bunch of escarole or chicory endive
Large sweet yellow onion
Olive oil
Large can of small white beans
Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Wash the escarole or chicory endive. Cut it into 2 to 3 inch lengths by cutting off bottom of head and making several cross wise slices through the head. Set aside.

Dice a large sweet yellow onion and saute in a tablespoon of olive oil in a hot skillet until the onion is caramelized (slightly browned).

Pour in complete contents of canned white beans (including juices). Add a little water to make mix a little more soupy if desired. Mix well.

Add escarole or endive and cover skillet. Allow to cook a few minutes until the greens are wilted. Stir until greens are incorporated into the soup.

Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Add a little grated parmesan cheese after serving if desired.

Losing the way

I walk in the woods....I go to the same small forest I have been walking for over a decade. I travel the same trails in the same direction. I know those woods intimately, know the time required for many trail variations. I know where the the trails get muddy or flooded and where heavy ice occurs. I know where I need to call my walk short because the sun is setting. I am amazed that I don't get bored because I experience more repetition than variety.

I know where the hills are, I know the streams. I know the field loops and trails that add ten minutes to my walk. I fall into the rhythm of my gait and breathing. I enjoy seasonal changes. I love the surroundings and enjoy the comfort of my own thoughts as I take almost daily journeys through "my woods."

Today I broke from my typical journey. I travelled the extension of an older rarely used trail. It is a long open uphill I see as I get ready to turn a corner. I found myself walking a lesser used stream-side trail to access to the beginning to this unexplored trail. I hadn't planned the change in direction...something about the white snow clearly marking the uphill called to me. I walked the long uphill until I saw a property sign indicating I would be leaving the official boundary of my woods. I turned back into the forest near the crest of the hill.

Broad slabs of granite littered the forest floor. Faded blue flashes appeared occasionally on trees. The trail markers were not reliable. I didn't have a map. I was not in familiar territory. The sun was starting to set. I realized I was not on a typical afternoon walk.

Light snow marked some of the trail. Heavy tree cover erased the snow so I had to rely on instinct to "see" other trail indicators on this infrequently travelled route. The granite slabs took on a slightly different color where the path crossed. The ground was slightly indented. A faded trail marker would appear. I continued. Then something about the contour of the land told me I was nearing familiar territory. Indeed I was. I followed a switchback over a large granite slab and realized I was on a hill above a field I traverse at the end of my everyday walks. I was in the field a few minutes later.

I loved that walk. I had a few flashes of concern but once I focused on trusting my instincts about feel of the land I settled and paid close attention to subtleties. The experience opened all my senses. I noticed ground cover, striations in granite, I could smell the forest, I heard migrating birds circling overhead. I saw the beauty of the diminishing light as the sun set.

I took some risk setting out without a map, without noticing the time but I got to see my woods with new eyes. I am stepping out in familiar territory so I can step into unfamiliar territory. Today's whim will lead to tomorrow's adventure. I need adventure as much as I need familiarity.

Finding the way

Today, on my walk in the woods, I took a detour on an old path that has been out of use for a number of years. In other seasons it is overgrown and flooded. It leads to a major stream and it used to have a small footbridge that led to a long uphill path. The ground was frozen and a light snow marked the contours of the old trail. I carefully walked the icy ground to the stream and looked to the continuation of the path uphill . A number of years ago a larger bridge was built upstream and a new uphill path was built from there.

I bushwhacked upstream to the new bridge and found vestiges of an old transitional path people probably travelled as the newer bridge was being built. One of those "let's go see what's happening upstream" ...or perhaps "let's go look at the old bridge" footpaths as things were transitioning.

I've walked by the old path for years but lack of a clear entrance and mud kept me from exploring. I am glad I got a good look today...I just wanted to see what was there.

Some days I wish some of my old patterns of living had entry portals so obscured I have no desire to travel the route. I usually take the new bridge but sometimes I find myself travelling the old route. Transitional paths are still present. Maybe I just need look downstream from the new bridge to remember the old way without actually visiting it.

Change is afoot!

Ah, today Virtual Dinner Partner has a new look and an upgrade at the blog site. This is the first step of some experimentation. I love the plastic quality of a blog: it morphs, it starts as one thing and becomes another.

I have had a long run with the menu format of Virtual Dinner Partner and I am going to minimize those postings to a few days a week (they are not going away...after all, the blog is still called "virtual dinner partner.") I am adding new favorite recipes. I am always looking for new meals to try because I tend to run out of ideas.

I am upgrading the movement and meditation commentary. I am not entirely clear about the form so I will experiment and see how it morphs. Don't worry, it will not be about sets and reps. Instead, I will focus on direction and improvement. I want Virtual Dinner Partner to become dinner talk about dreams of climbing big mountains, and plans to make it happen, stories about stepping out, trying new things, and living a joyfully active life. I will include progress reports, problem solving, and setback resolution. Inspiration will be my focus ...mainly the people and stories that keep me going.

Virtual Dinner Partner will continue with a personal focus. One of the things I have really wanted as I have made major health changes is the true stories of others who have walked similar journeys. There are success stories, but the truth is I regularly fall on my face. I want to hear those stories too so I am stepping out and telling mine. Sustainable change requires experimentation. Frankly, some experiments don't work. Sometimes you have to cut your losses, walk away and figure out something else. Failure and resiliance are as much a part of my story as success is. Also, some days are better than others.

I would love feedback. I want to hear other people's stories. I would love to see other blogs like this.

Wednesday Virtual Dinner Partner

The temperature is in the teens and with the wind chill factored in it is just above zero. We finally are getting some winter weather. I had to look for my down parka because today was the first day I wore it. I didn't walk. My car doors are frozen shut. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow. I am starting to think about walking in local shopping malls to get some exercise. I truly hope I don't have to do that. I am fine with cold weather...but I am so out of touch with frigid weather this winter it is difficult to get out the door.

Sleep: about 7 and a half hours
Vitamins

8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, orange, 2 tbsp walnuts
tiny lowfat bran muffin
2 c back tea
10:30
chocolate heaven
banana crisps
1:00
white bean and escarole soup
clementine
low fat cheese puffs
4:30
deli turkey, lettuce, and honey mustard on whole grain wrap
7:30
chocolate chip cookie
couple of bites of peanut butter cookie

Totals: 2 veggies and 3 fruits

“It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. "So it is." "And freezing." "Is it?" "Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately.”
~A. A. Milne

Tuesday Virtual Dinner Partner

There is ice everywhere and trees are down. Fortunately we have electricity because lots of people in the region don't. Winter decided to come in the form of an ice storm. It is really cold too. For safety reasons, I decided not to walk. It's home exercise day...and I am calling it exercise instead of movement and meditation. I lifted weights and did a ball workout while watching TV. It's called expedience too. I did it to do SOMETHING.

This is not a place I like to stay. Every once in a while it serves as better than nothing...but it doesn't do much for me as far as the long run is concerned.

Tomorrow, when the road are better I want to go out and see the icy landscape. The woods will probably be beautiful.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins


8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, pineapple, and 2 tbsps walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
2 c black tea
12:00
string cheese
3 soy nuggets
kitchen sink salad with greens, carrots, peppers, broccoli, cucumbers and 2.5 g fat canola based dressing
sweet potato with New Balance
2:00
1c nf plain yogurt with peaches blended in
4:00
slice of pumpkin bread
10 almonds
6:30
white bean and endive soup
acorn squash with New Balance
orange
banana crisps

Totals: 7 veggies and 4 fruits

When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder.
~Lao Tzu

Monday Virtual Dinner Partner

It is Dr. Martin Luther King day and I am home after spending the weekend with people I love. I am inspired to plan some new adventures. I have ideas but they aren't entirely clear yet. Still I am ready to forge ahead. I got good information about hiking boots and other equipment and a list of great hikes. I am excited. The next step will be to get really tight with my training. I want it to be fun first...and I want to get strong doing it. This is the time in my life for stepping out, and I really want to make it happen.

Sleep: about 9 hours
Vitamins

9:00
1/2 c nf cottage cheese, orange and 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
2 c tea
12:00
kitchen sink salad with greens, tomato, peppers, cucumbers, carrots and 50% cheese with 6 g fat canola based dressing
TLC crackers (1 serving)
4:00
3 soy nuggets and honey mustard
6:30
chicken breast with almond and pineapple glaze
green beans
baked potato with New Balance
apple

Totals: 6 veggies and 2 fruits

Movement: resistance training: arms


Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friday Virtual Dinner Partner

Not a great start today but a lovely ending. Soon after I woke up this morning, I paid the price for my high sodium dinner last night (cocktail sauce with the shrimp) with a visual aura, which is usually a precursor for a migraine headache for me. I dropped everything and sat until it passed.

I followed one of my resolves from yesterday. I got veggies! It was a much better day.

I am spending the weekend with people I love. We started with dinner together tonight. Tomorrow we have plans that will help with another resolve...time outside. Sometimes recruiting legions helps with momentum. I need some change in routine and I am sure company for the walk will help.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

8:30
1/2c nf cottage cheese, grapes, 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
2 cups tea
1:30
grilled cheese with whole wheat bread, 50% cheese and New Balance
kitchen sink salad with spinach, celery, pepper, cucumber and 6 g fat canola based dressing
3:00
chocolate heaven
7:30 (take out)
chichen teryaki
brown rice
avocado makis
mixed veggies

Totals: 6 veggies and 1 fruit

The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.
~Epictetus

Thursday Virtual Dinner Partner

I seem to be writing this a lot....some days are just losses. That's when I get into a mode of treading water. Lots of energy goes out and not much gets done in respect to the big picture. I have been there a lot lately. This is a seasonal pattern for me. In the winter, I seem to lose my way.

Today was not a total loss. I have to frame what I am saying in the context of what is really important to me. Today was not very healthy.

I have a couple of very basic yardsticks I use to measure what I experience as health. The first is how I "feel" on some fundamental level. Did I feel "on track"? Today I didn't. I did things but I ended the day wondering what I accomplished.

The second yardstick of health for me is how alive I feel and I measure that directly too. Am I spending quality time outside? Lifting weights while watching "Ugly Betty" does not qualify that way. I got some exercise which is good but it didn't make me feel truly alive.

A third yardstick of health is how I am taking care of myself. The best, most direct way I measure that is how many vegetables I am getting in a day. It's really that basic. It has little to do with calories. It's about range, variety, and color. Today, I fell flat on my face in that department: I ate lettuce. The interesting thing is I really like vegetables.

This just indicates that I am lost and I need to get out a map or a compass and figure out a direction I need to move toward. Is it the produce department? Is it my recipe books? Is it my woods? Maybe so!

Sleep: about 6 and a half hours and woke up in the night
Vitamins

8:00
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
1/2 c nf cottage cheese, clementine, and 2 tbsps walnuts
2 c black tea
12:00
turkey burger, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard on whole grain pita
apple
1:30
soy crisps
2 tbsps almonds
2:30
chocolate heaven
5:30
shrimp and cocktail sauce
soy crisps
fudgesicle

Movement: leg resistance training

Who can map out the various forces at play in one soul? Man is a great depth. The hairs of his head are easier by far to count than his feeling, the movements of his heart.
~Saint Augustine

Wednesday Virtual Dinner Partner

Something I have deliberated over with Virtual Dinner Partner is the level of disclosure and I had decided not to cover menstrual cycle in my writing. But today I feel it has a strong bearing on how I am doing. Never say never. I am bloated, crampy and craving chocolate and sweets and guess what is happening. I am in that lame-duck world of perimenopause and I never quite know what will happen month to month. I got lucky this month because exactly thirty days after the start of my last period I got mine again. I'm regular after a 3 month hiatus. Such is the nature of perimenopause. Sometimes the hormones fire up and go like clockwork and sometimes they don't. My initial response the last two months was happy surprise... really delight that things are working quite nicely. By the second day I am thinking, you know, menopause is not so bad.

I got out the Naproxin and I spent a slow and easy day. The whole "red tent" philosophy made tremendous sense to me today. I had absolutely no interest in going outside. OK, now I am tired of being inside so that will change tomorrow. Maybe that is the beauty of the menstrual cycle. Every once in a while, a woman just needs to rest and eat chocolate. So be it.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

8:00
slice of leftover thin crust chicken spinach pizza
half grapefruit
2 c black tea
10:30
chocolate heaven
12:00
chili
whole grain pita with baba ghannouj
cocoa
3:00
chocolate with almonds
orange
5:30
turkey burger with honey mustard
6:30
kitchen sink salad with spinach, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cucumbers and 6 g fat canola based dressing
black bean brownie

Totals: 2 fruits and 5 veggies (and 4 servings of chocolate...oh my!)

Movement: arm resistance training

I want to praise the gush, the hot spring thaw of it, the rivers wild with it. Bodies, our extravagant bodies.
~Ellen Bass

Tuesday Virtual Dinner Partner

I didn't feel very good today. I was tired and achy. I made social plans earlier in the week and I didn't feel energy for following through. The plans fell through anyway because of a miscommunication but I didn't find out until I drove to the restaurant. I would have preferred staying home but I was glad I didn't have to rise fully to the social occasion. That is my optimistic assessment of the situation.

I didn't feel good enough to walk either today. It only just occurred to me tonight that I may have benefitted from taking a comfortable chair and blanket into my woods for a short visit. Simply sitting quietly in a favorite grove or in the sun would have helped. I will try to remember that.


Sleep: 7 and a half hours and I woke up in the middle of the night. Broke my good sleeping record.
Vitamins

8:00
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
scrambled eggs (one egg with egg beaters mixed in)
2 c tea
12:00
deli turkey, lettuce and honey mustard on whole grain wrap
orange
1:30
chocolate heaven
5:30 in reataurant
minestrone soup
half a plate sized chicken spinach thin crust pizza
8:00
black bean brownie
good and plenty candy

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
~John Muir

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to the body and soul.
~John Muir

Monday Virtual Dinner Partner

It poured cats and dogs today so I only did resistance training. I was inspired by my original virtual dinner partner who was a champion weight lifter earlier in her life. She leg pressed 425 pounds today. I will never do anything like that but I was inspired by her report and went and did my resistance training.

I have gotten in three good sessions of resistence training this week. I was falling short in that department for several months.

Hearing what she is doing gives me the momentum and inspiration I need to do my own work. Inspiration is a powerful motivator for me. I cheer her victories and get excited about working toward my own.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, clementine and 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal1/3c before cooked
2 c black tea
10:30
chocolate heaven
12:30
turkey burger with honey mustard in whole grain wrap
kitchen sink salad (big bowl) with greens peppers, cucumbers, and broccoli with 6 g fat canola based dressing
butternut squash with New Balance
3:00
half an Asian pear
4 prunes
soy crisps
2 tbsps almonds
6:00
turkey chili
whole grain pita with melted soy cheese
sliced tomato
figs
black bean brownie

Totals: 4 fruits and 5 veggies

Movement: Legs for resistance training and core ball exercises.

Just don't give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.
~Ella Fitzgerald

Sunday Virtual Dinner Partner

I noticed something recently. After a lifetime of not getting enough sleep (6 to 7 hours a night), I finally consistently sleep about 8 hours. Even though I was sleep deprived most of the time, I had to break a habit and work to get better sleep cycles. I feel better.

I ate almonds just before I walked and I didn't have run-away late afternoon appetite today. Little changes can make a real difference. Timing made the difference here.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

9:00
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
1/2c nf cottage cheese, clementine, and 2 tbsp walnuts
1 c black tea
10:30
chocolate heaven
12:30
white bean and escarole soup with 50% cheese
roasted brussels sprouts
TLC crackers
banana crisps
pear
3:00
2 tbsp almonds
6:30
turkey burger
broccoli
sweet potato with New Balance
kiwi

Totals: 3 veggies and 4 fruits

Movement and Meditation: 1 hour walk in the woods and upper body free weight resistance training. Weather was a little cooler today but still warm for the season. I had company in the woods today. Lots of people, dogs, horses and bicyclers were out. I was happy to get back to resistance training for a second time in a given week. I will do leg and core ball training tomorrow.

Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
~William Blake

Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.
~William Saroyan

As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.
~Leonardo da Vinci

Saturday Virtual Dinner Partner

Still doing battle here. I had an endless snack mid afternoon after walking. It wasn't over the top...just more than I planned.

In the summer, when I am out for long walks or bike rides (25 miles), I take food with me. Usually I have a sliced up apple and a handful of nuts. I abandon the practice in the winter because I just walk and I am not likely to "bonk" or hit metabolism wall. Maybe I need to rethink this. I don't get cement legs like I do with biking after my fuel stores have run out, but I experience an endless appetite.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

8:00
eggs and squash (warmed up leftovers...really good!)
whole wheat waffle
blackberries
11:00
chocolate heaven
12:00
deli turkey
white bean and escarole soup
carrots
3:30
banana crisps
almonds
wheat crackers
grapefruit
5:30
pork loin
roasted brussles sprouts
sweet potato and New Balance
Dr Kracker flat bread
7:30
kiwi

Totals: 4 fruits and 4 veggies

Movement and Meditation: 1 hour and 10 minute walk in the woods in 70 degree weather. I love the warmth but today it was freakish...all the leaves are off the trees and it feels like a warm day in May.

A man's errors are his portals of discovery.
~James Joyce

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.
~C.S. Lewis

Experience is the name we give to our past mistakes.
~Oscar Wilde

Friday Virtual Dinner Partner

Today I decided to do battle with hunger so I could manage my food cravings with more success. The strategy worked. I had a non-traditional breakfast. The pork loin is left over from New Year's and needed to be eaten. The waffles are homemade and healthy. I always make extra and freeze them. That gave me a great start. I filled up with a huge salad for lunch and at dinner I got lots of light protein (egg substitute with one yolk) and more veggies. I didn't have any food cravings and I felt full after every meal. That seems a good strategy for me during the winter months. Finally, I had a good day. Lots of veggies and high quality plentiful protein did the trick.

Sleep: about 8 hours
Vitamins

9:00
pork loin
whole-wheat waffle
clementine
12:00
kitchen sink salad (big bowl) with greens, broccoli, carrots, celery, cottage cheese and 6g fat canola based dressing
6 wheat crackers
banana
1:30
chocolate heaven
6:30
eggs and squash with soy cheese
white bean and escarole soup
sweet potato with New Balance
grapefruit

Totals: 7 veggies and 3 fruits

Movement and Meditation: 1 hour walk in the woods. It was wonderful to be outside but also weird. It was 60 degrees and the sky was darkly overcast. It was humid and felt like rain was about to happen for the whole walk. I was sweating about 20 minutes after I started.


If you live long enough, you'll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you'll be a better person. It's how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.
~Bill Clinton

Thursday Virtual Dinner Partner

Today wasn't a great day in the meal department. I didn't get enough veggies and my carbohydrate intake was too high. Some days are just losses and I have to get back on the horse right away. My partner in this endeavor recommended I eat more protein to see if that helps with hunger and cravings. I am going to look at some good protein snacks during the next few days. Also I am shopping for more veggies. Resolve is central to this process: small steps, small changes, playing with things to see what works.

Sleep about 8 hours
Vitamins

8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, strawberries, 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
1 c black tea
11:00
chocolate heaven
12:00
deli turkey, field greens, honey mustard in whole grain wrap
clementine
4:00
corn chips (too many)
6:00
turkey chili
grapefruit
several cookies

Movement and Meditation: one hour walk in the woods and full body resistance training with free weights, ankle weights, and ball. I am so glad I finally got to my resistance training again. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow but it seems to take on a life of its own when I don't get to it. I feel best when I am lifting regularly. It has unmistakable benefits and still I have such a hard time getting to it.

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and the wrong. Sometime in your life you will have been all of these.
~Dr. Robert H. Goddard

Wednesday Virtual Dinner Partner

Another hungry as a bear day. My lunch was not substantial enough and I had social dinner plans. I could have had better snacks today but I have to say I totally enjoyed the cookies I ate tonight. One would have been better than three...but sometimes that's the way things work out.

Dinner was rich but the conversation was even richer. I enjoyed every bite and every word.

Sleep 8 hours
Vitamins

8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, blackberries and clementine, and 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
2c black tea
10:00
chocolate heaven
12:00
kitchen sink salad (big bowl) with greens, celery, carrots, broccoli, shrimp and 50% cheese with 6 g fat canola based dressing
banana crisps
4:00
half a Tri-lo-plex bar
small handful of chocolate chips
7:00 dinner out
half a turkey reuben
cole slaw
9:00
3 cookies

Totals: 5 veggies and 3 fruits

Movement and Meditation: 1 hour and 10 minute walk in the woods. It was so warm it felt like spring. Mud was everywhere.

My own brain is to me the most unaccountable of machinery -always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud.
~Virginia Woolf

Tuesday Virtual Dinner Partner

Happy 2007!

It is unseasonably warm in New England and that trend will continue for the rest of the week. I do not enjoy frigid weather but I am feeling unsettled with these strange warm days. I chose to live in New England knowing that the winters are long and hard. And here we are with no winter weather. I keep eyeing my snow-shoes in the garage and have yet to use them. By this time last winter, I had snow-shoed several times, and last winter was very mild.

The festive holiday food in my house is almost gone. I have one more social weekend planned this month. I will be sharing several meals with long time friends. Fortunately, they get my struggle to keep my head above water during the winter season when my cravings are in full operation and high calorie celebration food is so plentiful.

Sleep: about 8 and a half hours
Vitamins

8:00
1/2c nf cottage cheese, blackberries, and 2 tbsp walnuts
oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)
12:00
kitchen sink salad (big bowl) with greens, carrots, celery, sweet red pepper, broccoli and 6 g fat canola based dressing
saffron shrimp (party leftovers)
1/2c sweet potato and apple casserole
pear
4:30
chocolate heaven
10 peanut butter wheat pretzels
6:00
pork loin
raw carrots, celery and broccoli
half a pomegranate

Totals: 5 veggies and 3 fruits

Movement and Meditation: 1 hour 50 minute walk in the woods. I took a different route today and visited remote woods. It was good to be out in the sunshine walking the muddy trails.


The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows.
~George William Curtis

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
~Oprah Winfrey